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Brilliant, so with this drop you get Over-sized badass mech, weird leg arm badass mech and properly boobed badass ladies.
Have fun and let us know what happens !

Okay, I'm a little upset with Japan about something. Look at the box art for the green leg-arm mech. Those big black boxy things mounted on its arms. I wondered to myself, what the hell are those? What do they do? Certainly they must deploy into some kind of multiple rocket launcher or something, right? Nope. In fact, those are just great big blocks. They're only a couple of pieces, so basically they're pointless filler. Thankfully, I have a bunch of giant mech guns laying around now to compensate for this under-gunning of the Frame Arms mechs that now seems to be a running trend. I'm very pro-active like that. Now, one really nice thing about this kit is that the head has lots of clear green plastic pieces on its head, so that's an obvious spot for LED action.

STUFF!

The big blocks on the Griffen actually are supposed to be disposable rocket launchers. They're a bit out of place on the Griffen though since it's actually supposed to be an underwater mech. But if you want to really increase its armament, you should track down its upgrade set. Dual machine guns on both arms and multiple missile launchers.

First off, where did you locate English language description of these mechs' battlefield roles? Now that you say it, it really does look like an underwater specialist. Second, I already have the upgrade pack. But that's just too many missiles for one mech, it looks like it can't move lol. So I've got some good cannons and I'll add *some* of those missiles in a way I deem aesthetically pleasing. And then maybe boob guns because I just realized it's got these two holes over the nipples instead of the usual robot dick that Japanese mechs tend to have.

I wish I could remember where exactly I found that info in English. I think it may have been in a Kotobukiya US promo when they released it on their webshop. It is classed in some of their supplemental material as being an underwater unit though.

Well, it's not a huge deal. Anyway, this particular suit could do a lot better than those big bricks. I've got all those rocket pods and cannons all over the place. Just got back from a much-needed weekend in Bahrain, so as of right now the suit is just a very complicated torso on my desk.

I'm working on putting together some type of universal swappable base for these frame arms kits. I want to be able to field them in a game someday, if that ever happens again, and to do that I need bases. I'm looking at a very simple peg and socket system, and that means installing a uniform size of socket in one foot of every frame arms kit. However, if I go that route with removable bases, that would make it very difficult to add power to these kits. The fix would be ordering a lot of smaller coin cell holders and going all 12mm (space marine infantry size) with my batteries so that I could hide them in the suits easier. I suppose I should probably look into some switches or something too. Ugh, more random tiny components. Alternatively, I still have those horrible little reed switches that use magnetic sorcery powers to activate.

Lastly, there's another crisis suit build happening, and I'm pulling some of my Tau projects out of storage. I've completely forgotten how I did certain things like the legs on the Disorder suit, but I'll figure it out again.

Could you make interchangeable bases with batteries in them, and have it so that the 'peg' you use to attach the model is a power plug?

Anvildude wrote:
Could you make interchangeable bases with batteries in them, and have it so that the 'peg' you use to attach the model is a power plug?

That would definitely be a very comfortable way to go, no hassle hiding the batteries in the model. Although It would be better to avoid having the model weigh on the electrical circuit. Maybe a tough structural peg strongly attached to the base, and the power connectors inside it ?

Small update in the wake of a Facebook post that made me pretty happy:

EDITED BY MANCHU: Please do not post pics that contain words that would be caught by the word filter.

Well, it just so happens that I have large chunks of Riptide and such just laying around, as well as some missile racks from the Frame Arms kit that had, until now, been entirely too large to represent anything. But the tau have once again provided an excessive firepower platform for me to build on. Of course, it would help if work gave me any time to work on anything. As soon as I got my hobby desk set up and ready to go, they switched us to some new messed up shift where we just sit in a box all day and don't get to do anything for ourselves.

I went from having lots of free time and nothing to build to having no free time and a ton of models laying around.


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And just after posting this I see the pics of the new heavy stealth, new fire warriors and, if you look closely in that pic above right behind the knee on the right, new crisis suits with better articulation. So now I may put a slight delay on that crisis build and, if I ever get any freaking time for my hobbies again, just keep going with the riptide defiler mash up.

i know it was brought up in the rumor thread, but those missile pods look like a good place to stash some speakers.

Alternatively, lights.

Was wondering what you would do with that guy as I was reading rumors. Seems to have a lot of potential to take him to 11.

Gun's big enough- might be able to get a good watt laser mounted up there- Never have 'line of sight' disputes again, and if they still argue, just melt their models a little!

Anvildude wrote:
Gun's big enough- might be able to get a good watt laser mounted up there- Never have 'line of sight' disputes again, and if they still argue, just melt their models a little!

I think the wall is blocking LOS
<fires up laser, melts wall>
Looks clear to me

Well, I don't have this particular kit but I think the heavy quad builds will be intended for this one and the r'varna. I think that once I know the rules for the heavy stealth variant then I can use the Griffin from Frame Arms as a stealth chassis. It has a sort of sneaky wet work look to it. And I also figured out, in theory, a quick way to convert frame arms humanoid legs to the reverse joints that I prefer. Now if only I could actually build something.

I suppose I'll need to build another fire warrior unit somewhere along the line. Screw it, tonight I'm using my break to build more on the Griffin.

Holy crap I did something! Or at least a big part of something:


As you can see, far from finished. But I'm happy to see that it balances on one foot, which means that two feet will make it extremely stable and increase posability. No LEDs in yet, and I'm thinking just one for the head and maybe another for a weapon somewhere. But I'm also thinking about another option for power, based on the idea of a power-conducting peg and socket setup. These frame arms kits all seem to have at least some kind of "backpack" portion. It's different for each one, but there seems to be some universalism to the design. So I'm thinking of powered backpacks, which would also serve as weapon mounts. This could be a pretty big deal for my overall modus operandi. Maybe.


Oh, and I'd also like to apologize to the mods for the picture I posted. It was literally the only one I was able to find at the time that featured the new suit.

You did something! Woo!
Looking cool! Same paint scheme or...?

No I think this one will get the black scheme like Darkblade. But because it has the green acrylic panels Im not sure that the red lines will work. I might have to switch to something in a green hue. Or maybe even experiment with purple lines? Not sure how that would work out, since purple paint tends to come off flat.

Finally got the chance to finish the main build on the Griffin suit. This guy is surprisingly big!











One thing to note is there's a ton of spots where I can mount weapons on this sucker. The folding claws are neat and really expand the silhouette of the mech. I'm not sure if I want actual hands on this suit or if I want to replace the hands with guns mounted on the wrists. After all, this suit's arms are not easy to pose, so it seems like actual hands won't do much good.

There was no "backpack" section to this mech so I haven't decided where to mount a battery yet. I might mount a 12mm battery on the underside of a drone and pop it onto the spot where the backpack unit would normally mount.

What's that little suit next to him?

Oh that's another idea I had for a heavy fire warrior. I guess I'll need to get a pic or two.

Haha what a mechanical monstrosity, well done. I agree, you definitely have room to put even more guns. I did not know it also had extra arms on the arms.
Just not sure about the inferior part of the claws

I acknowledge the need for the round hole in order for the claw to be able to close, but I mind that the rest of the part is shallow, like an internal part of a model. Would it not look better if covered with plasticard ? Of course, this is not relevant if you plan to put something in these claws.

Yeah, the claws have a look that I don't really like. But I was thinking about just filling in the shallow areas with green stuff. The other thing I was considering is replacing the pincers on the arm mounts with blades or something, so that they turn into kind of a switchblade system. Also thinking of putting a matching gun on the other arm. Swapped the head out for a different version that came in the expansion kit.

And eventually when my new spools of magnet wire arrive, I'll wire up an LED in the head.

Or at least until I get bored.

When I looked at the new Stormsurge suit, I noticed something a bit distressing about the big gun on its shoulder. I don't think it's a railgun. It's got two smaller barrels instead of one big one, so I'm thinking it's some kind of pulse-submunitions thing.

In other news, a couple of the Frame Arms kits I ordered were definitely lost in the mail. It's lame as all hell, but I had to re-order some new stuff.


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Other options: I can disconnect those arms at the elbows, then attach some different arms from another kit, then put the freaky bendy arms on something else. That would allow me to get some arm-mounted cannons into play here. I think I might switch out some parts from the Kobold and see what I get for my efforts.


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Switched the arms with Kobold and both suits look better for it.

Ooh, you know what you could do? Use the 'freaky bendy arms' as the 'arms proper' to have a mech that's all noodle-armed. You could potentially make something like the, what was it, Shenron Gundam? From G-Gundam, with the extendo-dragon arms.


Alternatively, how hollowable are the secondary limbs? Could you potentially fit a rotating weapons system in them, like a pocket knife or spin-out small gun? 'cause you could then potentially make it all 'Oh look, an unassuming, unarmed Mech. *Schwing-clickety-ratchet-chuckt*- Guns Everywhere!'

The secondary arms can't be hollowed out unfortunately. They're already completely hollow and that's how they fold up. I could, if I found the right bits, attach a weapon in place of the pincer hand. The problem is picking the right type of weapon.

How is that one forge world battlesuit that's like a close quarters riptide with the big flamers? Are those any good? Because crazy noodle arm flamers would be kinda neat.

Edit: Currently experimenting with some leftover bits from the Griffin expansion kit, some of which were an alternate set of armor for the legs. However, it spoiled the whole aesthetic that the Griffen's original legs had and ended up looking stupid. I think, however, that I can use the parts to build an additional leg joint into the Kobold's legs, vastly changing and hopefully improving the look of the suit.

Anvildude wrote:
Ooh, you know what you could do? Use the 'freaky bendy arms' as the 'arms proper' to have a mech that's all noodle-armed. You could potentially make something like the, what was it, Shenron Gundam? From G-Gundam, with the extendo-dragon arms.


Alternatively, how hollowable are the secondary limbs? Could you potentially fit a rotating weapons system in them, like a pocket knife or spin-out small gun? 'cause you could then potentially make it all 'Oh look, an unassuming, unarmed Mech. *Schwing-clickety-ratchet-chuckt*- Guns Everywhere!'

You know, I actually have that Gundam kit for Shenlong Gundam. I've been using it for bits mostly, still have the extendo dragon arms.

 bossfearless wrote:
When I looked at the new Stormsurge suit, I noticed something a bit distressing about the big gun on its shoulder. I don't think it's a railgun. It's got two smaller barrels instead of one big one, so I'm thinking it's some kind of pulse-submunitions thing.

There is nothing wrong with the RailGuns, having the recoing guide attached to the bottom of the main barrel.


I like the Missile Launchers, for sure!

Okay, so the rules dropped for that unholy abomination with all the missiles, and I immediately kinda want one. Gargantuan creature with six separate weapons systems, so it's gonna light up the whole board at once. It can be fielded in squads of three. And then it gets to fire all of its weapons twice, just for good measure. It's expensive, but it gets the job done.

I just saw that....

It's raining Marines, For The Greater Good, It's raining Marines.....